Memograph or reminder-clock.



G. SCHNEIDER, G. RUTENBEOK & H. HILL.

' MEMOGRAPH OR REMINDER CLOCK.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 9, 1911. 1 019,193. Patented M21115, 1912.

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GUSTAV SCHNEIDER ARL W RUTENBECK H u 0 o H I LL.

G. SCHNEIDER, 0. W. RUTENBEGK & H. HILL. MEMOGRAPH 0R REMINDER CLOCK.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 9, 1911.

1,019;193. Patented Mar.5, 1912.

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COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH Co., WASHINGTON, D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GUSTAV SCHNEIDER, CARL W. RUTENBECK, AND HUGO HILL, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

IVIEMOGRAPI-I 0R REMINDER-CLOCK.

Application filed. January 9, 1911.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, GUSTAV SCHNEIDER, CARL XV. RUTENBECK, and HUGO HILL, citizens of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Memographs or Beminder-Clocks, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to a so-called memograph or reminder clock, and the invention consists in a clock and associate mechanism which is especially designed and adapted to make a memoranda of appointments or engagements and the like which are noted upon the clock by suitable means and are electrically notified through an alarm when the time fixed on the dial clock is reached.

A card memorandum system is involved with the clock as a portion of the invention, so that one may associate the call or alarm as sounded with the card that is in evidence just beneath the clock at the front where it is easily seen and from which the data relating to the appointment is obtained, all substantially as shown and described and fully set forth in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front perspective View of the clock and the casing 01 base upon which it rests and in or upon which the electrical appliances including the alarm bell and the card receptacles at the front are located. Fig. 2 is a front view of the hour time dial on the face on the clock, and Fig. 3 is an enlarged section of a portion thereof. Fig. 4: is a vertical sectional elevation of the clock and its base or cabinet front to rear substantially through the middle thereof. Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view adapted to illustrate a portion of the electrical circuit and means employed with the minute and hour hand as hereinafter fully described. Fig. 6 is a sectional detail of one of the contact projections in cross section for the minute hand of the clock and an end View of said minute hand adapted to contact with said projection and close the circuit upon the alarm bell.

The object of the invention is clearly apparent from the foregoing, and the invention comprises a suitable clock 0 modified in such particulars only as are necessary to meet the requirements of the invention for fixing time and sounding an alarm, and B Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 5, 1912.

Serial No. 601,552.

for novelty is set up for the clock as such.

For the minute hand there are four quarterhour contact points or studs indicated by 4 and which are adapted to be used in all engagements noted on the clock regardless of the particular hour in which the appointment is made. On the other hand there is a series of four several heads or knobs a visible in a circle on the hour time dial D and adapted to work in harmony with the quarter hour studs l for the minute hand. That is, each hour has four projections or heads a quarter of an hour apart for the hour hand, so that when the minute hand makes contact upon a stud or projection 4:, say quarter after the hour, the hour hand will contact with the first head a in that hour and the two contacts are simultaneous and adapted to close the circuit on the alarm bell 8. The actual electrical contacts of these parts is intended to be exceedingly brief, probably not exceeding four to six seconds by the minute hand, so that a suflicient duration of alarm may be sounded and at the same time the mechanism will shift itself so as to break the electric circuit within suitable time and stop the alarm. The contact on heads a is considerably longer but amounts to nothing with the circuit broken.

In so far as the minute hand is concerned it will always make its contact on studs 4 in its continuous travel about the face of the clock but the hour hand does not make electrical contact except as the pins 6 having heads a are pushed inward in the radial slots 6 provided for that purpose and which brings them into contact relation with the metal on the inside of the hour hand designed to make such engagement and close the electric circuit, which, as to pins 6 and hand 2, is through the time dial plate D. If no pins or heads a be carried inward to make electrical contact there will be no alarm inasmuch as the annular rim d carries said hour hand normally and keeps it out of touch with said heads. If one or more of said heads be moved inward the alarm will be sounded as each one is reached, and this will recur with each revolution of the hand and until the said head or heads are restored to their retired or normal position.

Obviously with a construction like this, as many dates, engagements or appointments or the like as one may wish to make memorandum of can be placed on the clock by simply moving the corresponding pin into contacting position. There may be one or more of these in such position at the same time for every hour of the day or night, or there may be none at all. It will be observed as to this that the person who wishes to make a date has simply to move one of the heads a inward in slot 6 and nothing else need be done except to make a memorandum thereof on one of the memorandum cards 12 as hereinafter described. Of course after the appointment has expired or has been met the said head should be restored to normal so as not to repeat itself. In this connection it may also be observed that both hands 2 and 3 have very slight metallic engaging portions each to meet the metallic surfaces in the respective projections a and 4:, and the studs at are made of insulating material for the most part excepting a thin metallic strip 5 in the center across which the beveled bulb b on the end of the minute hand contacts for a few moments. As to the heads a for the hour hand they have comparatively slight cavities c-in their center into which the point of a pencil or pin or some sharp object P can be inserted to slide the said heads back and forth in their slots, and the hour hand 2 itself rides or slides on said insulated rim d, which is next outside the dial plate D, but a metallic contact with said heads is obtained when the same are moved inward into working position. This is disclosed particularly in Fig. 3 wherein. the hand 2 is shown as having a bulb g on its bottom engaging a head a and in which position saidhand is lifted off the insulating rim or bead 0Z.

Something of the relation of parts as hereinbefore described is shown in the diagram, Fig. 5, wherein both hands 2 and 3 are in contact and the electric circuit is closed, a switch S otherwise closing the circuit upon the battery 7 and bell or buzzer 8 shown in said views. These parts may be placed at any convenient place, but. in the present instance the battery 7 a pair of dry cells, is inside the base B while the alarm device or bell 8 is outside and the circuit is indicated say by 9 in the several views. As to this the studs or pins 1 are connected in series while the pins 7) have their electrical connection through dial plate D.

In connection with the foregoing, and as a working part thereof and adapted to make the invention operative and complete, we provide one or more card pockets 10 at the front of base B and provide cards 12 therefor adapted to receive such memorandum thereon as any given case may suggest. For example, if a party is to be met at a given place and time, if a train is to be made, if an appointment for any purpose is to be remembered, or if anything else be wanted wherein a definite time is fixed therefor, whatever its nature, such as the calling of a guest at a hotel, hour to meet a friend or the like, the said cards are provided with the desired data and placed in the pocket and the time corresponding thereto is fixed upon the clock. It follows that when the alarm is sounded and the party takes notice thereof, a card in the card-box will have the corresponding time noted thereon and all the necessary information with respect to that particular appointment and the person and place and time. It is especially convenient to have this done in ones absence by a clerk or other person who can thus make this device tell the whole story briefly and cause an alarm to be connected when the appointment is to be kept.

It should have been stated that the pins I) having contact heads a also extend inward from the plate D and have washers h or the like on their inner ends and spiral springs e between the said washers and plate D to give an inward spring pressure to said pins and serve to hold them frictionally in any adjusted position.

Hour hand 2 is mounted on sleeve 10 on minute-arbor l2, and this sleeve is axially movable .and spring pressed by a light spring 1 1 secured to the clock frame 15 to maintain a seating or contacting relation of hand 2 with heads a when these are set for this purpose. The annular rib or bead d absolutely prevents accidental contact of lower hand 2 with plate D and is either a separate or integral part of the ring R having the hour figures thereon, and this ring is preferably of insulating material to electrically insulate the various parts from the clock frame. The front of the clock is necessarily open to permit manipulation of heads a, and a safeguard such as bead a? is of decided advantage to prevent accidental shock. The ends of studs & are rounded to offer the least resistance to the passing of minute hand 3, and being of insulating material no immediate closing of the electrical circuit follows upon initial contact of the beveled bulb b therewith. The inwrought spring of the minute hand 3 permits over riding of studs 4 without effort.

In view of the relative closeness of heads a one to another, difficulty is experienced in selecting and sliding the desired one if the finger of the hand is used for setting operations particularly if the head to be moved happens to be underneath the minute hand. The cavities c are then of exceeding usefulness, using a tool as described.

hat we claim is:

1. A reminder clock having a metallic disk provided with a series of radial slots, headed pins movably secured within said slots, 21 plate of insulating material to support said disk having annular rib on the front thereof bordering the edge of said disk, and a series of studs of insulating material having a thin contact strip mounted therein, in combination with the hour hand and minute hand of the clock and electric signal means electrically in circuit therewith and with said studs and said disk.

2. A reminder clock having a radially slotted disk and a series of contact pins movably mounted therein, a series of contact studs, and an annular rib encircling said disk intermediate said pins and studs, in combination with an hour hand and minute hand adapted to contact with said pins and studs respectively to close an electric signal circuit, and a spring device to constantly press said hour hand laterally in riding engagement with said annular rib.

8. In a reminder clock, a face plate provided with radially disposed slots and an annular rib of insulating material projecting at the front of said plate and headed pins slidably mounted in said slots, and an hour hand adapted to slidably engage said rib and to contact with said pins according to the positions of the pins in said slots.

4. In a reminder clock, a face plate having radially arranged slots uniformly spaced apart and pins slidable in said slots having rounded heads provided with central cavities adapted to be engaged by a pointed instrument to move said pins back and forth.

5. In a reminder clock, a face having a series of rounded projections of insulating material radially thereof, said projections having therein metallic strips centrally therein for electrical contact, in combination with a minute hand having a beveled head adapted to ride over said rounded projections to momentarily contact with said strips.

6. A reminder clock having a metallic plate provided with a series of radially movable contact members, a series of contact studs, an hour hand and a minute hand adapted to contact with said members and studs, and an annular rib of insulating material encircling said series of contact members to keep said hour hand normally out of contact therewith.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

7 GUSTAV SCHNEIDER.

CARL W. RUTENBECK. HUGO HILL. Witnesses:

E. M. FIsHER, R. B. Mosnn.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

